Blackburn Rovers vs. Liverpool: Winners and Losers from FA Cup Game

Liverpool put disappointing league losses to Manchester United and Arsenal behind them on Wednesday night, as they defeated the Blackburn Rovers, 1-0, in their FA Cup quarter-final replay at Ewood Park.

A single goal from Philippe Coutinho settled the tie in what was a scrappy affair.

Rovers will take heart from two resolute performances against top-level Premier League opposition, but the Reds can now relish a Wembley semi-final against Aston Villa next Sunday.

Here are three winners and three losers from Wednesday night's game.

Winner: Adam Henley

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With Liverpool setting up in a 4-3-3 formation at Ewood Park, Coutinho and Raheem Sterling adopted wider attacking roles than they have been used to in manager Brendan Rodgers' regular 3-4-2-1.

This meant that the pacey Sterling lined up directly opposite Rovers' young right-back, Adam Henley.

While Sterling wasn't completely absent, some consistently fine work from Henley kept the England man subdued throughout, with the 20-year-old Welshman matching up to his contemporary excellently.

Henley made three tackles and five interceptions on Wednesday night, with this combined total more than any other player.

Loser: Mamadou Sakho

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With Brendan Rodgers reverting to a back-four defensive system on Wednesday night, the onus was on centre-backs Dejan Lovren and Mamadou Sakho to form a cohesive partnership to keep Rovers at bay.

However, Sakho's night seemed cursed from the start.

The 25-year-old made a near-fatal error in letting Jordan Rhodes' knock-on bounce in the Liverpool box. His miscommunication with Simon Mignolet almost allowed Craig Conway an opening on goal.

Sakho was the worst passer among Liverpool's starting outfield players, with just 74.3 percent accuracy—a far cry from his season average of 89.5 percent.

Withdrawn with a hamstring injury on 27 minutes, Sakho was not afforded a chance to redeem himself.

Winner: Joe Allen

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After being physically dominated against both United and Arsenal, Liverpool's midfield shifted shape usefully at Ewood Park, lining up against a similarly waspish opponent. And the two-pronged roaming display of Joe Allen and Jordan Henderson helped the Reds gain a foothold.

It was Allen in particular who, despite performing relatively unassumingly, suppressed any build-up in the Rovers' engine room.

Allen's movement, energy and persistence were central to breaking up play in the midfield, and Liverpool enjoyed more and more space as the game went on as a result.

The midfielder also made two key passes, second only to Henderson of Liverpool's lineup in Lancashire on Wednesday night.

Loser: Daniel Sturridge

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Fronting the Reds' attack on at Blackburn, Daniel Sturridge continued his muted run of form in what is becoming a worrying trend for Rodgers.

With Sterling and Coutinho operating more often than not in wide areas, Sturridge was disappointingly isolated in attack, having to drop deep to get the ball.

However, the striker's work in possession and in front of goal harboured on the abysmal, with his five unsuccessful touches and four losses of the ball in possession—both more than any other player—setting the tone for an often clunky Liverpool forward charge.

When can it be considered a turn from post-injury rust to a genuine drop in form for the England man?

Winner: Philippe Coutinho

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With the game seemingly dying out and extra time looming, Liverpool needed a bit of quality to seal the victory.

Coutinho was on hand to provide the winner.

While the Brazilian was bright throughout, his starting position hampered his ability to truly influence the game, as he made only one key pass on the night.

But with an intelligent one-two followed by a clever, low, driven finish, Coutinho ensured Liverpool's hopes for a positive end to the season stayed alive.

Loser: Jordan Rhodes

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Just as Sturridge toiled in a lone centre-forward's role, Blackburn's leading goalscorer, Rhodes, was similarly muted.

Posting a miserable 55 percent passing accuracy and touching the ball just 32 times, Rhodes failed to maintain any real link-up play with his supporting cast, and it wasn't until his partner, Rudy Gestede, was introduced late on that Rovers truly threatened.

Furthermore, Rhodes' part in Coutinho's winner was lacklustre, allowing the No. 10 to pass him by too easily with a simple one-two.

Not a great night for centre-forwards.

Statistics via WhoScored.com.

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